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Can we have a background please?!?

Finally….a background.

When the idea hit for the Pieced Hexies Stars way back in February I also envisioned a background…actually several for them. And then traveling and second book writing and another booklet writing…and well lots of quilty stuff got in the way.

But I had a file filled with some sketches. And a plan.

Finally last week there was time in my schedule and I set to work. I have been carrying around the makings for 4 Pieced Hexie Stars – Bonnie since late September on the road. Making progress with each evening in a hotel.

And then it came to the final ring on the final star and I hit that wall that we all know. The star sat for one week, then two. And I knew if I just did a little leap frog and got the sketched background idea into EQ for easy pattern writing later that Star would get done. And so I did. And it did. And now this train is moving full steam ahead.

The original plan was to share this next week to kinda coincide with the start of taking preorders for Pieced Hexies Deux (January 2014) release. But sometimes I don’t have the patience of a saint and I just want your feedback. So here we go.

You’ve see the Star. I have heard the deep breath intact at the color choices. But well this is me. I am not always traditional and I am not always “basic blue” in my choices. Always expect the unexpected. I swing wildly from Civil War Repros to what you see here. Remember back in September when I facebooked (is this a word now?) the picture of the “fish eye” fabric and the citrine yellow fabric that I bought while in St. Louis at The Quilted Fox? Well here it is.

On Saturday I stated pulling background fabrics. I knew after seeing Pepper Cory’s Peppered Cottons in Houston at Market that they had to be used in this quilt. These fabrics appear solid but they are not.

A close look will reveal that they are woven with two different colors. So there is a shimmer in person when viewing. It can’t be see truly on a screen you have to see these in person. Seek them out…you won’t be disappointed. sidebar: Wild Angel Studio (that’s my place) will be stocking all colorways by year end. Merry Christmas to me.

Sunday afternoon…let the piecing begin! I am a process sewer. Confident in my color choices I jumped right in. The concept is 4 large quilt blocks, more like panels, each to serve as the background for each Star. So once the Star is appliqued (and note you can use ANY PHStar!) you sew the 4 big blocks together and TA DA! You have a quilt…or a wall hanging in this case.

Here is one block all well…blocked out. Again a process.

And here are all four blocks…not sewn together but hanging on the design wall so I can get a look at the over all of things. I like!

And here are the Stars!

OH YEAH I REALLY LIKE!

One Star is already hand appliqued down. Another will be done tonight. And I will prep the last two tomorrow (remove papers , starch edges, pin) and bring them with me for my trip to North Carolina on Thursday. I will also bring the file and start writing the pattern.

My next goal…have pattern and picture of finished top (note I am still under doctor orders of no quilting until the new year) on the website in December. I hope by the 5th. I am aiming for it. I am also adding a workshop that can be booked for as little as 3 hours to as long as 3 days called “Build Your Own Star” or BYOS!…..I know you can all create your own and I can’t wait to see them!

Mickey I love this too and so much better than the background I did for my Audrey’s cousin Adrienne star. Too bad I’ve already quilted it, etc.! I’ll just have to start another and wait for your pattern. 🙂